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Thousands of excited families and other enthusiastic Cirque du Soleil fans were well entertained by the skillful and stunning feats of acrobatics, aerial and other performances by the cast of “Dralion” Wednesday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

Thousands of excited families and other enthusiastic Cirque du Soleil fans were well entertained by the skillful and stunning feats of acrobatics, aerial and other performances by the cast of “Dralion” Wednesday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

The evening began with somewhat eccentric, but silly antics of the three clowns, who seemingly dragged a somewhat embarrassed young man from the audience onto the stage to participate in their own brand of comical fun. During pauses in the show, the clowns would repeatedly return and encourage the man to participate in their acts. Eventually, it became clear the young man was also a skilled circus clown and that all four were simply having great sport with the crowd.

The evening was filled with unique entertainers wearing brilliant costumes and performing to up-tempo music and soaring songs, as each act displayed a variety ancient Chinese acrobatic forms. These included individuals or troupes working flawlessly with props from the aerial hoop to bamboo poles and the trampoline to jumping rope, hoop diving and aerial dancing – each routine highlighting remarkable feats of balance, skill and agility.

The highlight of the evening came during the intense and romantic “Pas de deux,” a dreamlike aerial dance where a couple intertwine and soar above using long bands of blue cloth as they execute numerous acts of flexibility and strength.

“Dralion’s” use of the four elements that rule the natural order were represented by performers dressed in various colors, including air (blue), water (green), fire (red) and the earth (ochre). Throughout the night, these different elements in human form performed together, eventually achieving a form of harmony between nature and humankind.

Cirque du Soleil shows rarely disappoint due to the high quality of performers, showmanship and the multidisciplinary blend of the arts used in great storytelling. “Dralion” follows in this tradition and ensures a compelling show worthy of the “Circus of the Sun.”